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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24962638">Angel of the Galaxies - An Alternate Journey to the Past</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CSP2708/pseuds/CSP2708'>CSP2708</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Angel of the Galaxies [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Camp Half-Blood (Percy Jackson), Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Olympians, Time Travel, alternate version</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:34:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,278</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24962638</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CSP2708/pseuds/CSP2708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The original version of Percy and Artemis' journey to the past.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Artemis/Percy Jackson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Angel of the Galaxies [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805785</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Angel of the Galaxies - An Alternate Journey to the Past</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Basically set after chapter 35 in the rewritten version.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once they reached the Big House, Percy led them to the meeting room. There is nothing but a ping pong table in the middle, so Percy snapped his fingers and the ping pong table disappeared, replaced by a large round mahogany table.</p><p>There was a large throne at the very back, showing that it was the head of the table. Next to the large throne was a smaller throne, along with thirty-two normal chairs, and finally, an empty space for Chiron to stand.</p><p>Zeus, with his enormous ego, goes directly to the throne, when Percy appeared next to the throne with Artemis, glaring at Zeus. Percy pulled out the smaller throne for Artemis. She sits down, and after making sure that she was comfortable, Percy sat down in the large throne at the head of the table.</p><p>Zeus had a stunned expression on his face, but sat in one of the normal chairs, next to Jason, who was the head of the Zeus cabin while Thalia was away.</p><p>"I believe that Thalia should be here, too," Percy said to Artemis, who looks at her past self.</p><p>Past-Artemis nodded, and Percy snapped his fingers before she could teleport away, causing Thalia to appear in the chair next to Past-Artemis. Past-Artemis explains the situation to Thalia, and after getting over the fact that there were two Artemis' and two Percys', she calmed down and waited for something to happen.</p><p>Once everyone was seated, there was still one person standing. Since there was no seat next to Past-Poseidon's chair, Past-Percy was left standing. "We are missing a chair!" he exclaimed.</p><p>Percy shook his head. "No we're not, I calculated this perfectly," he said.</p><p>"But I don't have a chair," Past-Percy replied.</p><p>"Then the solution is simple. You," he began, pointing at his past self, "Out," he finished, turning his hand to point at the door with his thumb.</p><p>"What? Why? I want to know what happens to me!" Past-Percy whined.</p><p>"I don't care. I know you, obviously, and I know that you'd say otherwise if you knew," Percy told his past self.</p><p>"Boy, I'm such a jerk in the future," Past-Percy grumbled as he walked out the door.</p><p>"Shut up!" Percy shouted at his past self. His past self just slammed the door behind him. </p><p>Artemis gave a small chuckle, which she tried to hide.</p><p>"I don't need to hear it," Percy said as he turned to her, elbowing her gently. He just caused her to laugh harder.</p><p>"Sorry. But you really need to control yourself," she said before she continued laughing.</p><p>Once she calmed down, Zeus asked, "Okay, what happened? And why are you sitting on the throne? I'm the king!" he complained.</p><p>Artemis just rolled her eyes, and Percy answered, "Even though I do not have to answer you, I'll tell you anyway. First, we'll get to what happened soon. Second, I'm sitting on the throne because I'm awesome, and third, you're lucky that I gave you a chair to begin with, seeing as when demigods visit Olympus, we have to kneel or sit on the floor," he said, crossing his arms.</p><p>"He does have a point, you know," Artemis added.</p><p>Zeus just huffed and scowled.</p><p>Percy shifted slightly and winced. "Hey Apollo, do you mind healing me? I'm still quite sore."</p><p>Apollo gave everyone his signature megawatt smile and strutted over to Percy. Placing a hand on Percy's shoulder, his hand began to glow a bright golden colour and Percy's wounds started to close up.</p><p>Sighing in relief, Percy leaned back in his chair. Despite having been healed by Apollo, he winced as he shifted his position.</p><p>"How could you still be in pain after Apollo healed you?" Athena inquired. Her mind was racing, searching for possibilities of how Percy could still be in pain just after being, supposedly, fully healed.</p><p>"Not even Apollo can heal what happened to me. I do not know if I will ever recover fully, but as of right now, the only thing that can heal me is time," Percy said quietly.</p><p>"So now, tell us, what happened that was so terrible, you can't even tell yourself?" Athena asked, raising an eyebrow at the two.</p><p>Artemis still seemed a bit worried about telling them, but Percy placed a reassuring hand on her arm and gave her a small smile, which did not go unnoticed by a certain daughter of Athena. She also noticed how their chairs were so close together, and why they were acting so close.</p><p>She stood up. "Oh, my gods. You’re together, aren't you? You-you <em>left </em>me!" she accused, tears gathering in her eyes and streaming down her face.</p><p>Most stared at Annabeth in shock, wondering how she could possibly think that.</p><p>"Annabeth, what makes you think that? Artemis is a maiden goddess, and besides, Percy would never leave you," Thalia said, trying to reassure her friend.</p><p>"No, Thalia. Annabeth is right. Artemis and I are together," Percy said, wrapping his arm around Artemis' shoulder.</p><p>Gasps rang throughout the room. Everyone stared at the couple with wide eyes, completely stunned by the revelation.</p><p>Past-Artemis was also shocked, wondering how she could have possibly changed, but a small part of her, deep inside, felt elated. She knew that if she ever fell in love, Percy was the only male worthy of her.</p><p>Annabeth on the other hand was sobbing even more heavily. "How could you! I thought you loved me!" she screamed, choking through her sobs.</p><p>Percy glared. "I <em>did </em>love you. Until..." He cut himself off, eyes growing sorrowful.</p><p>Thalia glared at Percy, as did most other people in the room.</p><p>"How dare you break my daughter's heart like that you worthless sea scum! I knew that you were trouble the moment I saw you. Annabeth should have listened to me!" Athena shouted as her rage began to build.</p><p>She had a feeling that Poseidon's worthless spawn would do something like this, but at the back of her mind, something was telling her that there was more to the situation than meets the eye. Questions called out to her quietly, almost unheard. <em>'If this sea spawn was so bad to women, why would Artemis fall for him? She hates all males, so only a truly noble man would catch her attention. And this also doesn't add up. His fatal flaw was Personal Loyalty, so betraying someone was physically impossible for him.'</em> These thoughts were ignored, overshadowed by the rage of seeing her favourite daughter so upset.</p><p>Artemis finally decided that it was her time to break into the conversation. She stood up, angered by the accusations that were being thrown at her loved one. "It's her own fault that she lost Percy! He did nothing wrong! She was the one who...who..." Artemis couldn't bring herself to explain. Just thinking about brought tears to her eyes and caused a tightness in her chest.</p><p>She suddenly felt a soft, caring hand on her arm, and turned to see Percy, smiling at her. He gently pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting hug, as if assuring her that he was still there.</p><p>Meanwhile, Thalia was still comforting Annabeth, who was crying harder than ever. Her eyes had turned red and puffy, and tears continued to roll down her face like a waterfall. She let out a cry of anguish as she saw Percy and Artemis together. The look of love in his eyes was different than the love he showed her. It was powerful and reassuring, showing that Percy loved her and respected her, but would do anything in his power to keep her safe from harm.</p><p>Thalia saw this and glared at Percy again, also angry her mistress, who was supposed to be a maiden goddess, turning her back on the company of men, just as she forced her hunters to do. "It doesn't matter what happened! How could you just leave her?" she demanded.</p><p>This statement seemed to have hit a nerve because it caused Percy to flinch, and tears began to gather in his eyes as the memories came flooding back. He choked for breath, overcome by the pain and sorrow.</p><p>Artemis, who was still sitting in his lap, saw this and brought him closer, letting him cry into her shoulder. His face was pressed into the crook of her neck, and she stroked his hair, allowing him to vent his feelings.</p><p>She glared at anyone who looked over at them. "You have no right to speak! You just assume that Percy is the one at fault! But it is all of you who should take the blame! If you hadn't done what you did, Percy wouldn't have died!" she blurted out. </p><p>Everyone was shocked. Their faces went slack, as they were unable to process the information that had been thrown at them.</p><p>Finally, Chiron broke the silence. "I believe that we should start from the beginning, and not jump to any conclusions. Artemis, if you will," he invited calmly, knowing that he did not have the right to make assumptions without knowing the whole truth.</p><p>Artemis nodded and patted Percy on the back lovingly before she moved back to her own throne. Percy quickly wiped his eyes and sat up straight, mentally scolding himself for showing weakness.</p><p>Artemis cleared her throat, and began, "In three days time, a son of Zeus, named Damian Parker, will arrive at camp."</p><p>She was suddenly interrupted by a loud smacking noise. Everyone turned to look at Zeus, who was caressing his-now bright red-cheek, while Hera was sitting next to him, the expression on her face scary enough to frighten away a Draken.</p><p>Artemis gave a cough to gain everyone's attention again. "Anyway, as he ran into camp, he was being pursued by a single hellhound. It was only a pup, but it was fast. I assume that the boy did something to aggravate it because pups aren't usually aggressive unless in a pack. Percy, having heard the boy calling for help, ran to save him, and didn't have much choice but to kill the monster."</p><p>Zeus smiled, thankful that Percy defended his son.</p><p>"But instead of thanking Percy, the boy caught Percy off guard by yelling that he had it under control, blaming Percy for stealing his glory. Just then, the campers had their impeccable timing, showing up at the hill. Right before they came into view, the boy took Percy's sword and shoved him, using his confusion against him. He claimed to have killed a whole army of monsters and claimed to have saved Percy's life, which was the complete opposite of what really happened. Percy tried to explain, but no one would believe him. His closest and oldest friends seemed skeptical because they knew how Percy was, but they didn't speak up. Even Chiron didn't believe him and scolded him for telling lies. Damian was suddenly claimed, and everyone bowed, but Percy didn't. I assume that he didn't believe that Damian was worthy because he saw Damian as a liar and a cheat."</p><p>Everyone looked at Percy, guilt flashing in their eyes.</p><p>Chiron looked sorrowful. "I-I'm sorry, Perseus. I don't know why I would have, or shall I say, will, do that," he apologized, confused as to why he would have done what he did - or, will do - to Percy.</p><p>Percy just looked away and continued the story. "The next day, I was in the dining pavilion, eating, when Damian came over and demanded that I bow to him. He wanted me to thank him for saving me, even though I was the one who saved him. I guess he wanted to look like a big shot in front of everyone. I refused to do as he said, so he pulled out his new weapon - a dagger from the armoury. When I didn't react, he tried to stab me in the throat, so I had no choice but to take out Riptide to counter. Suddenly, Zeus and Poseidon decided to show up, and Zeus yelled at me for threatening his son. I tried to explain, but he wouldn't listen. Poseidon came up to me as Zeus checked on his son and told me that I wasn't worthy of being his son. He disowned me." </p><p>Gasps were heard, interrupting Percy.</p><p>And though Athena was horrified, she was also curious. She pulled out a notebook. "This has never happened before. What happens when a god disowns their child?" she asked, not noticing how Percy flinched.</p><p>"When a god disowns their child, that child's demigod powers are taken from them, and they feel a deep pain in their chest as if the immortal blood is forcibly being drained from their heart," Artemis explained.</p><p>More gasps sounded, and looks of pity were sent Percy's way.</p><p>"Without his power, and feeling unwanted, Percy ran from the dining pavilion," Artemis said, picking up where Percy left off. "Over the next few days, Damian spread lies and rumours around camp, all against Percy. Damian also went around sabotaging the other campers' possessions, and always had an alibi, claiming he saw Percy do all of those things. He was praised for leading the uprising against Percy, who was slowly losing his friends, one by one. Soon, he only had Annabeth by his side. On the sixth day, at night, Percy was walking through the woods, collecting firewood for the campfire, when he was ambushed by Damian and a few of his cronies. A couple of campers from the Hephaestus cabin grabbed him and slammed his back against a tree. As he was disoriented, Damian walked up, holding his dagger. Damian started telling him that he wasn't worthy to be at the camp, saying how pathetic he was. He cut deep gashes into Percy's chest, letting the blood run down his body and stain his clothes. Then, Damian grabbed Percy's arm and carved in the word, 'Murderer'. He told Percy that it was who he really was. After that, he just threw Percy down and they walked off, laughing at his pain." A low growl punctuated Artemis sentence.</p><p>"He quickly wrapped a cloth around his arm to stop the bleeding and put pressure on the wound but quickly passed out before he could do anything else. The next day, Percy went to see his parents. They were some of the only people who cared about him. Sadly, when he arrived at their apartment, he found them all dead. Even his newborn sister, who was only a few weeks old, was murdered."</p><p>Gasps of horror rang throughout the room, seemingly now a common occurrence.</p><p>"Who killed them?" Poseidon asked, tears running down his face as he mourned for his deceased loved one.</p><p>"Damian," Artemis said, growling out the name. "Percy found a note, telling him that Damian had killed them. He was so distressed that he didn't even think to take the note back to Chiron, and also because Chiron would probably think that Percy killed his own family and then wrote the note to blame Damian. Instead, he went back to camp, hoping to find Annabeth. He was seeking some comfort after seeing the disturbing image, forever imprinted in his mind. After speaking with Malcolm, Percy went to the beach. Once he reached the beach however, he saw something that scarred him for life." Artemis paused for effect, looking over at Percy. She asked him a silent question, concern in her eyes. He just nodded, bracing himself for what was to come.</p><p>Everyone leaned in with worried expressions on their faces.</p><p>Artemis takes a deep breath, bracing herself. "Percy found Annabeth sitting with Damian, and she was kissing him. Percy's '<em>loving</em>' girlfriend was cheating on him, with the boy who ruined his life and murdered his family!" she said.</p><p>Thalia's arm snaps off of Annabeth's shoulder and she backs away.</p><p>Annabeth was in shock. How could she do that? No. This has to be a lie.</p><p>Artemis was glaring at her heavily. "I swear by the River Styx that this is true. It will happen."</p><p>"I-I don't know why I would do that! That's not possible!" Annabeth cried. There was desperation in her voice.</p><p>Artemis' glare just grew worse. "And worst of all, Percy was going to propose to you."</p><p>Annabeth's eyes widen even more - if that was possible - and tears stream down her face. "You-you were?" she asked.</p><p>Percy nodded stiffly, trying to block the memories. Instead, he turned to Thalia. "Now you understand. My heart was shattered. I thought that I would never feel joyful ever again, so do not chastise me for my feelings. After five thousand years, I have finally found someone that makes me feel alive. Someone that makes me feel <em>loved</em>," he said.</p><p>Thalia had guilt written all over her face. "Oh Percy, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you."</p><p>Percy waved it off. "Don't worry; I'm used to it by now," he mumbled.</p><p>Artemis nodded, but her eyes held concern. Concern for Percy, and also concern for everyone back in the future, who were probably wondering how they were doing. She decided to continue, though there was pain in her heart as she remembered and relived these memories. She could only imagine how this must feel for Percy. And for what seemed like the millionth time, she thought of how cruel the Fates are, forcing Percy into this difficult life.</p><p>She braced herself once more and continued the story. "After seeing that, Percy threw the ring he had gotten for her, into the sand and ran off, unable to look at her anymore. As he ran, he came across three people whom he should have never been forced to see again; the three Titans Hyperion, Atlas, and Oceanus," Artemis explained.</p><p>Zeus was shocked. "What? How did they get out?" he demanded.</p><p>"I assume that Atlas managed to trick someone, a monster perhaps, to take the sky from him. Hyperion, as Percy has told me, was in Tartarus, so he could have easily been released by the Spirit of the Abyss, and Oceanus must have crawled out of the deep depths of the ocean, sneaking by or killing Poseidon's guards, to get his revenge against the sea god's son," Artemis explained.</p><p>Zeus nodded, understanding her reasoning, but still not liking how the Titans had gotten past their watch.</p><p>"The Titans laughed as they saw Percy, and they immediately knew what had happened to him. They offered him a place in their ranks so that he could get revenge against the gods and the demigods. He declined, as his fatal flaw would not allow him to betray his friends, no matter what they did to him. Having said that, the Titans got angry and attacked Percy. He pulled out his sword and fought them off, even without his powers. The Titans were only newly reformed, so they were weaker than they should have been, but it was still very impressive. Percy defeated all three of them, but sadly, while he was fighting Atlas, he was stabbed through the chest by Oceanus. Once he defeated them all, he collapsed, his chest bleeding badly. "</p><p>More gasps-which were starting to get annoying-were heard.</p><p>"Soon after Percy collapsed, Hermes appeared. Because at that time, we were having a council meeting, and Zeus wanted to discuss Percy's fate because he was accused of working for Kronos and Gaea in the wars, which was preposterous. Percy was brought before the council, and we were shocked to see that he was dying. Zeus commanded Iris to show us what really happened over the past few days, and we were completely shocked when we found out. After that, Apollo went to check on Percy, to see if he could save him. But even though the dagger missed his heart, it had punctured his lung, and blood was flooding in through the wound, causing Percy to choke, making it very painful for him to breathe. We later found out that Annabeth had been tricked by a love potion, but the damage to Percy had already been done. Any potion, no matter how potent, can be blocked, if the potion goes beyond what the victim believes. The potion would've had no effect if Annabeth had truly loved Percy. She was already turning away from him - no matter if she noticed it or not-and the potion just finished the job," Artemis explained.</p><p>Annabeth's eyes widened and filled with tears again. She threw her head down into her arms - which were resting on the table - and sobbed, repeating, "It's all my fault," over and over again.</p><p>"Percy woke up for only a few minutes. He was apologizing. Saying how sorry he was that he had caused so many deaths, how sorry he was that his own father hated him, and how sorry he wasn't good enough for his girlfriend. And finally, he said that he forgave everyone for what they had done so that the heavy, unbearable load of guilt did not weigh upon them. And then..." Artemis trailed off, not being able to finish.</p><p>"What happened?" Thalia and Past-Artemis asked with desperation in their voices.</p><p>Artemis shook her head, tears running down her face.</p><p>Percy began to rub soothing circles onto her back, before turning to them. He had a serious expression on his face, meeting the curious and worried looks of his audience. "I died," he said, and chaos erupted.</p><p>
  <strong>***</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>*Future Artemis' Point of View*</strong>
</p><p>As Percy said those words, pain ignited within my chest. I remembered how I felt the day it happened. For me, it was just five years ago. For him, over five thousand. But for everyone else here, it will happen in only a few short days.</p><p>The day it happened, I had run out of the throne room, crying. I didn't care what the others thought; I had just wanted to get out of there. It was horrible. The only boy that was decent - the boy that I had fallen for - had just died. And even worse, he had disappeared forever. Not even his body was left behind.</p><p>At first, I had wanted to strangle whoever had taken Percy's body, not allowing us - me - to grieve properly. But now, I'm glad that Chaos and Order took him. They brought him back, gave him life, and gave him a new purpose. And even after all we had done to him, he came back to save us from Destruction.</p><p>He was still the same Percy that I had fallen in love with after he saved me from Atlas. I remembered it well. He had taken the sky from me, regardless of the consequences, because he knew, and admitted to himself that he couldn't take on the Titan by himself. He wasn't pompous or self-centred, and that proved it. But he was also confident and driven to do what right. He snuck out of camp multiple times, not caring about breaking the rules because he was following what he thought was right. He was also loving and kind to everyone. His fatal flaw was one of the rare few flaws that are both noble and deadly. He would sacrifice the world to save someone he loved, as Athena put it. But then Percy proved her wrong; he saved both the world and the people he loved, without dying.</p><p>Sadly, his flaw caught up with him, because he was loyal to the very end, even after we abandoned him. That was why he died. He had since become immortal, so he no longer had the flaw, yet the ambition remained.</p><p>He was the perfect man. He was always respectful to women, and also only showed respect to people who deserved it, who earned it, instead of using fear to motivate it. That was why my father feared him so much - because Percy didn't fear him. Percy saw him as an equal - or even perhaps not even that - because he saw my father as a man who didn't respect women - or anyone else, for that matter.</p><p>Thankfully, in the future, my father was a changed man because of Percy. Percy showed him what it was to care about people and to show modesty. He spent more and more time with Hera, as well as his children, and no longer even spared a second glance at any other woman. Father even became more agreeable and no longer tried to dominate any argument or conversation he was a part of.</p><p>The other gods changed as well. They were all less cold and foreboding, and they spent more time with their kids. They made sure that their children were taken care of, and not abandoned, treating each and every one of them with the amount of love that they deserved. Most also ceased their senseless frolicking among mortals, and if they were to have children, they did so with someone who they truly loved.</p><p>Nearly everything good that had happened throughout the past five years had been because of Percy. We were all very grateful, even though his sacrifice was too great of a price for us to see the errors of our ways.</p><p>I snapped back into reality when Percy silenced the others in the room, who had been screaming and yelling when they learned of Percy's death. I hadn't even heard them, having been so wrapped up in my own thoughts. I had blocked out every other sound.</p><p>Looking up, I saw the solemn expression on Percy's face. I knew that this was hard for him, but I had a feeling, that if he faced this challenge head-on, perhaps it would help him accept it, so that he could finally move on with his life.</p><p>He may have forgiven us, but there were times that I could see the pain behind his eyes. He just buried it too deep for anyone else to see.</p><p>Finally, I looked at the others. They all wore looks of grief, knowing that the Percy that they knew, the Percy that was probably sitting at the beach at this very moment, was going to die.</p><p>Poseidon managed to ask, "W-what?" He sounded as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. Tears had gathered in his eyes, and he looked to be on the verge of having a panic attack. Seeing him like this, I almost felt sorry for him, but I quickly pushed down the feeling. He was one of the main causes of Percy's death. He had put a large crack in Percy's already broken soul, adding to the sorrow and abandonment that made Percy shatter.</p><p>Percy shrugged, his face turning blank. "I died. Passed on. Finally kicked the can," he repeated as if it were no big deal. (Which, I supposed it wasn't, seeing as he'd done it twice already, which was twice more than any other living person could say for themselves.) And even though he was so nonchalant about it, each word sent pain to my heart, each sentence a stab to the chest.</p><p>Poseidon trembled. "But...but you can't! You...you can't just... No..." he murmured brokenly, shaking his head from side to side, the tears starting to slide down his face in a never-ending river. </p><p>A sorrowful expression returned to Percy's face. "I'm sorry--" he started to say, but I cut him off.</p><p>"Don't you <em>dare </em>apologize to them! It's <em>their </em>fault that you died! They should <em>suffer </em>what they put you through," I said sternly, glaring at him. I had turned to face him, as I was still sitting in his lap, and he looked at me.</p><p>He nodded, and I smiled, kissing his cheek quickly.</p><p>I turned back to the others in the room and saw that they were all staring at me, especially my past self. I could tell that she was shocked by how I was acting, probably because she never thought that she would act like I was acting.</p><p>Chiron suddenly cleared his throat, bringing our attention to him. "Well, perhaps you could continue explaining because I am having trouble believing that it has ended already. I myself have many questions still, and I would appreciate it if they were answered," he said calmly.</p><p>I nodded and turned to Percy. "Your turn," I said. "I don't know what happens to you after you died."</p><p>Percy nodded. "Okay." He took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was next. "I remember saying that I forgave you for what you did, but the next part was a bit blurry. I remember feeling weightless - like I'd left my body behind and was floating away. Suddenly, I could see a bright light, and it just kept getting bigger until it swallowed me. I was nearly blinded by the harsh light and tried to block it out, but it just pushed through. I felt strange...as if my soul was being cleansed."</p><p>Percy seemed confused as he explained it, and I could tell that he had never really thought about it before. I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave him a nod.</p><p>A small smile appeared on his face and he continued. "Finally, I decided to accept the light, and it suddenly didn't seem so bright anymore. I had appeared in a blank expanse of whiteness. At first, I was confused - wondering why I wasn't in the Underworld - when I heard a voice."</p><p><em>That </em>caught my attention. I'd always wanted to know what happened in the time between his death and his return. I listened intently, not wanting to waste the change I had to finally hear the story.</p><p>"The voice was female, and she told me to be calm. She said that I was safe. When I saw her, she was with a man, and...they were both smiling at me, like how two proud parents would look at their child."</p><p>Poseidon looked down, obviously still feeling guilty for disowning Percy. I looked around to see the curious expressions on everyone around us, wondering who they were. I had a pretty good guess, but it never hurt to be certain.</p><p>"We conversed for a while, and they introduced themselves as Chaos and Order, the creators and rulers of the entire universe," Percy said.</p><p>I held back a laugh. The way he said it was a little smug, and I knew he was just showing off to my father, as an explanation that he had more power. Normally, this would be completely out of character for Percy, but after all that he'd done and all he'd been through, he deserved to show a little pride.</p><p>Percy began to speak once again. "They were kind. They comforted me, assuring me that the betrayal was over and that I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Then, they offered me something that I still cannot believe to this day. They offered me a position in their army; a chance to start anew and save people who needed help. I was offered the position of Commander, which meant that I would be in charge of the whole army, and I would gain my white wings, showing that I was one of the high-ranking officers."</p><p>This statement seemed to have confused many of the gods and demigods.</p><p>Jason stood up from his chair. "White wings?" he asked. There was a puzzled expression on his face, and I could see that he, along with the others, were trying to work out what he meant.</p><p>Percy just smiled. "I'll get to explaining that. Just be patient," he said.</p><p>Before he continued, his smile suddenly disappeared. "The next part I don't really like to remember. As I accepted my position as Commander, they gave me their blessings, which hurt a lot. But, thankfully, it didn't last long. Once my body got accustomed to the power coursing through my being, I noticed that my shoulders felt a little heavy. Once I turned, I saw my wings. And instead of being white, they were pure black, darker than anything I'd ever seen. They seemed to be drawing shadows towards them, making everything around me darker."</p><p>Percy's smile returned, and I turned to see what he was looking at. I smiled as well. Hades was jealous. I could see it. He and his son, Nico, were both staring at Percy's wings enviously. I assumed that they had been jealous all along, but now that Percy was talking about his wings, the spark reignited inside of them.</p><p>Percy then turned to me, "Why don't you tell them what went on in the throne room at that time?" he asked.</p><p>I chuckled. "Oh, they don't want to hear about that right now, but I guess I'll make it short. So, Percy had just died, and everyone was finally seeing the errors of their ways. It had only been a few minutes after Percy's body had been taken away for a funeral, when one of the minor gods ran into the room, declaring that Percy's body had disappeared. Poseidon and Annabeth both rushed out of the room to see if the minor god had been right, and that was when Damian decided to make a comment about how weak and pathetic Percy was." I growled a little after that last part.</p><p>"Anyways, he ended up covered by a group of angry demigods and gods, who ended up almost beating him to death. By that time, Poseidon and Annabeth returned and declared that Percy was truly gone. I don't know what happened after that, seeing as I left the room, but once I was gone, Zeus decreed that the gods should spend more time with their kids. He renounced the ancient law of interfering with mortal affairs, seeing as the gods have been doing that for the past millennia anyway, so there was no point in keeping a law that was continuously broken," I finished.</p><p>I turned back to Percy, giving him the signal that it was his turn once again. He nodded. "After that, Chaos and Order opened a portal back to their headquarters, Celestia<strong>*</strong>. It was the first planet ever created and it is where Chaos and Order rule from, along with where their army lives and trains. Once we were there, I met the other Commanders, who all had their white wings. Then, someone asked about my wings. --This is what you all want to hear," Percy said, interrupting himself.</p><p>Everyone leaned in, still curious about why his wings were black. I, of course, already knew why his wings were the way they were, but I was curious to hear the exact reasoning.</p><p>"Order told everyone that there had been a prophecy, made long ago, that the one who gained black wings, would be the true heir to her and Chaos' throne. The one with black wings was said to have the ability to control Shadow Fire<strong>**</strong>, the most dangerous substance in the universe. And this person is the only one with the ability to communicate with the creature known as the Shadow Lord." Percy was interrupted yet again by gasps.</p><p>Everyone was in shock. I could see my father looking both outraged and bewildered, probably because Percy had more power than him. Most of them were staring at Percy with fear in their eyes, others, with awe.</p><p>The gods were shocked as well, but I could tell that my past self was expecting that. Maybe it was because I already knew, and somehow, she was being sent memories from me, since we were the same person, and we have been in close proximity a while now. I don't really know. I'd ask Percy later.</p><p>I snapped out of my thoughts as Percy said, "I think that's enough for today."</p><p>I looked at the window, seeing that it was indeed beginning to get dark out. My past self would need to make her rounds, and the demigods needed to go to sleep before curfew.</p><p>"Everyone meet back here in the morning. We'll continue the story then. In the meantime, Artemis and I can stay in the Big House, so you can expect that two rooms will be occupied," Percy said with an air of authority in his voice.</p><p>I saw everyone nod in unison, almost as if they were in a trance, and then, they all left.</p><p>I smiled. Once they were all gone, I turned back to Percy. He smiled at me, but I could see the exhaustion in his eyes. "Will you have nightmares?" I asked, suddenly remembering.</p><p>Percy gave a small, yet forced, laugh. "I'll be fine," he said.</p><p>Before I could protest, he picked me up and brought me up the stairs of the Big House, to where the guest rooms were. He brought me into one of them, and laid me on the bed, tucking me in.</p><p>Before he left, he gave me a small kiss on my forehead, and whispered, "Goodnight, my love. I'll see you in the morning."</p><p>I smiled, and just as he closed the door, I fell into a deep sleep.</p><p>
  <strong>*Celestia is the original name of the first planet before I changed it to Cofando.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>**Voidfyre was also known as Shadow Fire in the first iteration.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>***</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>*Percy's Point of View*</strong>
</p><p>The next morning, I woke up feeling very tired. But I had a reason to be. All night long, I'd been having terrible nightmares, fears of what was happening to my friends back in the future, and what would happen to me and Artemis if we couldn't get back.</p><p>I knew that time did specific things to fix dimensional warps, meaning once we left, the timeline would reset, and everything would happen as if we were never here.</p><p>But if we stayed longer than three days, to the day that Damian would arrive at camp, I was worried about what would happen to the timeline. For all I knew, we could cause a singularity. In other words, we could cause a huge black hole, meaning the destruction of the earth, and every planet in close proximity to it. Then Destruction would get his wish.</p><p>Yeah, I definitely had a reason to worry.</p><p>I couldn't talk to Artemis about this. I didn't want to cause her any stress. She was already concerned and distressed enough by our predicament. And on top of all that, she was facing the judgement of her family for being with me - even if they were all from the past.</p><p>Her past self was probably also worrying. I wondered how hard it was for her, knowing that she was going to fall in love, even after millennia of swearing off men. She was just minding her own business, as usual, hunting monsters with her sisters, when suddenly we came along, and boom! Some life-changing news practically smacking her in the face.</p><p>I had a faint idea that she was going to slap me later. I really hoped not, though.</p><p>I climbed out of bed and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I felt far too lazy to change clothes, so I just snapped my fingers, and a fresh set of clothing appeared on me.</p><p>I stretched a bit, breaking them in a bit, and then left the room. I stood outside Artemis' door and knocked gently.</p><p>"Artemis?" I called. "Wake up, my love. It's morning."</p><p>"Come in..." I heard from inside, muffled through the door.</p><p>I smiled. She was tired. <em>'I guess she's been having nightmares too. Well, this is the perfect moment for a surprise.'</em> I thought. I held up my hand, a silver tray appearing on it.</p><p>Opening the door, I went inside and walked over to her bed. I set the tray down on the nightstand and opened the drapes with a snap of my fingers. They glided smoothly and slowly to the edges of the window.</p><p>Morning light instantly enveloped the room, and Artemis turned over, groaning. I gave a slight chuckle. "Not a morning person, my love?" I asked.</p><p>Artemis gave a dry, sarcastic laugh. "Very funny," she said, though I could see the smile on her lips. "I'm the goddess of the moon, which usually comes out at night."</p><p>I just laughed and reached down, picking her up off the bed. She squealed. Her pillows floated and fluffed themselves, and I set her back down so that she was in a sitting position.</p><p>I felt a goofy smile play across my lips as I saw that her beautiful auburn hair was covering her face, messy and tangled. She blew some of it out of the way so that she could glare at me. "A little warning next time, please!" She scowled, crossing her arms as she pouted.</p><p>"Come on, you don't want your breakfast to get cold," I offered, picking up the tray again and holding it out.</p><p>She glanced over at it but immediately looked away. She was just being stubborn. I decided to play along.</p><p>"Okay, if you don't want it, I guess I'll eat it all by myself," I said with a careless shrug, turning away. I sat down in the chair that was at the desk and set the tray down on my lap.</p><p>Lifting up the lid, I revealed a plate of pancakes and French toast. There were two small sunny-side-up eggs as well, and a tall glass of iced orange juice. Steam rose from the food in tantalizing swirls. I fanned the food, playing at off as cooling the food, but really, I was just wafting the smell over to Artemis to get her attention.</p><p>My plan succeeded. She looked over. Seeing the food, I heard a quiet rumbling sound, and her hand shot to her stomach. Smirking, I picked up the silver cutlery and was about to dig in--</p><p>"Wait!"</p><p>I looked over to see that she was giving me her large, pleading, puppy-dog eyes, asking for forgiveness and food.</p><p>I smiled. "You seriously thought I was going to eat this in front of you? You should know me better than that," I said. I stood up and walked over, placing the tray on her lap. I handed her the fork and knife and she immediately began eating, a look of satisfaction on her face as she ate.</p><p>"Are you enjoying it, my love?"</p><p>She nodded happily, smiling. I could stare at her smile all day. The way her eyes lit up and her perfect lips curved. I sighed, lost in my own little world.</p><p>"--ercy! Percy!" I snapped out of my thoughts as I heard Artemis calling my name. Looking over, I saw that she was finished her food, and she was out of bed. How long had I been thinking? Obviously, it was a long time, since Artemis had time to get up, make her bed, and get dressed without me even noticing.</p><p>"W-what?" I asked, looking at her.</p><p>"I asked if you were ready to go down to meet the others," she repeated, sounding very exasperated.</p><p>"Uh...yeah. Sorry about that. I'm ready," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.</p><p>Together, we walked down, hand-in-hand. Since it was early, we stopped first at breakfast, just to see everyone.</p><p>As we arrived, I could see a lot of people staring at us - well, mostly our intertwined hands, seeing as they weren't there yesterday to hear our story. Most of all, the hunters of Artemis were sitting at their table with their mistress, either staring at us or in heated, one-sided conversations with their mistress; Past Artemis didn't seem to hear them. She was just staring at me, probably wondering how we would be together in just five years.</p><p>I continued scanning the hunters, immediately noticing that Thalia seemed to be the only huntress calm about seeing us together, though she wasn't immune to sending glares at Annabeth, who was sitting at her own table, sobbing.</p><p>Then there was Annabeth. Guilt writhed in my stomach like a fish out of water. I'd never meant to leave her, but the love potion had made her fall for Damian at just the wrong time, and my heart shattered; no one could put me back together. At that same time, my love for her also shattered, and there was no way to replace it. My body and soul had been cleansed in the white room, as I had told everyone yesterday. My heart had also been fixed, started anew, to love someone else, and hope that it didn't end the same way.</p><p>I pulled away from looked at Annabeth and turned back to Artemis. She was already looking at me, and I could see the sorrow in her eyes. "I don't like to see you sad. You don't owe her anything," she whispered to me as if she had read my mind.</p><p><em>'She probably can. She is a goddess after all,' </em>my ADHD said to me.</p><p><em>'I thought I told you to shut up,'</em> I told it.</p><p><em>'You're mean. I can't believe we shared the same mind all these years. I'm actually starting to regret merging with you,'</em> it replied in a pouting tone.</p><p>Artemis led me over to the head table and we sat down, but I barely noticed. I was too shocked. <em>'Wait! Tile?'</em> I asked.</p><p>'Yes?' The same voice replied, sounding a little miffed.</p><p><em>'Oh! I'm so sorry. With everything going on, I forgot about you two, and I just thought you were my ADHD because it's always putting weird thoughts in my head. Sorry,'</em> I told him. Guilt began to eat away at me again.</p><p>He seemed to understand. <em>'Fine, I forgive you,'</em> he said, and I felt him shrugging his shoulders.</p><p>I smiled slightly. <em>'Hey, it's been a while since we've spoken. But...where's Crypt?'</em> I wondered. I mean, he's in my mind, how could he possibly get lost? (Don't answer that.)</p><p><em>'I'm here. What do you need?'</em> I heard him say.</p><p><em>'Well...nothing, but I was wondering why we haven't talked to each other in a while,'</em> I said. I was feeling slightly worried.</p><p><em>'Lately, your mind has been full of thoughts of other people and your painful experiences, so we thought you'd like your privacy,'</em> Crypt answered.</p><p><em>'Oh. Okay. I guess that makes sense. I need your advice for something,'</em> I said.</p><p><em>'Sure. Shoot,'</em> Tile replied.</p><p><em>'Should I tell everyone about you guys today? I mean, they'll just forget everything, but if I don't, there will be lots of questions,'</em> I pondered.</p><p>I could feel that both of them were thinking it over. Finally, Crypt answered, <em>'Tell them. That way, you won't have to lie to Artemis anymore once she knows. Like about how we destroyed the Death Beast<strong>*</strong>,'</em> he said, and I felt both of them retract from my mind.</p><p>But...if I tell her...will she accept me? Or will she just see me as a monster? I feared the worst.</p><p>Suddenly, I noticed a tapping on my shoulder. Looking over, I saw Artemis. She had a concerned expression on her face. Oh no, this again. I should stop thinking so much. It worked before.</p><p>"Hey, are you okay?" she asked.</p><p>"Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry. I've been so lost in thought lately," I explained.</p><p>"Are you having nightmares?" she whispered, leaning into my side slightly.</p><p>I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her closer. She laid her head down on my shoulder, nestled in the crook of my neck.</p><p>I answered, "Yeah, but they aren't that bad. I was just a bit worried about what's happening to everyone back home."</p><p>She nodded. "Okay. As long as we're confessing things...I've been having nightmares too. I'm worried about losing you again - for real this time," she said, and I turned to see tears glistening in her eyes.</p><p>I wiped them away. "Shh, my love, it's okay. You'll never lose me. I love you more than anything. To the moon and back." I rocked her gently.</p><p>She giggled a little. "To the moon and back," she repeated softly. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment.</p><p>I could feel everyone staring at us, and it was starting to make me feel uncomfortable. "Let's go," I whispered to Artemis. "I don't like how everyone is staring at us."</p><p>She nodded, and we both stood up, leaving the Dining Pavilion. Their gazes followed us until we were out of sight.</p><p>I led Artemis back to the Big House, and we entered the War Meeting room. Walking over to where our thrones were, I suddenly got an idea and snapped my fingers. Our thrones glowed for a moment and transformed into a loveseat. The soft cushions were covered by animal pelts, giving it a naturally soft feel. We sat down, and cuddled together, waiting for the rest of our little group to show up.</p><p>After about twenty minutes, everyone arrived and took their seats. Once they all calmed down, they looked at me expectantly.</p><p>I smiled. Reliving the worst time of my life may have been hard, but it really helped me accept what happened. "Now, where was I? Oh yeah, I was on Planet Celestia and I had just found out that I was part of an ancient prophecy..." I began.</p><p>
  <strong>* - The "Death Beast" is the codename given to the Kakia</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>***</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>*Past Artemis Point of View*</strong>
</p><p>Just as Percy was about to continue the story, there was a loud boom, and the ground shook. Dust fell down from the ceiling, raining down on our heads.</p><p>Percy looked around in panic and said, "Oh no. It's starting."</p><p>"What?" I asked. Percy's tone made me nervous. "What is starting?"</p><p>Percy looked over at me. His expression was grave. "We only have a few days before the world is destroyed."</p><p>"What?" Father shouted, thunder rumbling outside to emphasize his statement.</p><p>"In a matter of days, the son of Zeus, Damian, will arrive at camp, and if Artemis and I aren't gone by then, the timeline will change, and collide with our existing timeline, destroying both of them. It would have been better if we hadn't been seen at all but considering our 'dramatic entrance' it wouldn't have been possible. Instead, we have to figure out a way to get back before Damian arrives so that the timeline can reset itself," Percy explained.</p><p><em>'Oh,'</em> I thought. <em>'That's not good.'</em></p><p>As if sensing my thoughts, Percy nodded. "Now that I think about it, we have exactly one day, seventeen hours, thirty-six minutes, and twenty-nine seconds. So I'm afraid that we cannot continue our story. It won't matter anyway since you will all either forget it by the time we leave, or we will all be destroyed - in which case you won't have to worry about it," Percy said calmly.</p><p>It took all my self-control to keep my jaw from dropping to the floor. <em>'How can he be so calm about all of this?'</em> I thought. <em>'He must have had a difficult life after we abandoned him.'</em></p><p>The thought of his abandonment made something in my chest twist painfully and when I thought about my future self, I was shocked. I'd never expected to fall in love, but I knew that Percy was the right guy. He was everything that a normal male wasn't. He wasn't obnoxious, or arrogant, and he is almost too modest. Even when he took the sky for me, it was because he knew that he couldn't take on Atlas by himself, and afterward, he didn't even mention it or ask for a thank-you from me.</p><p>I was snapped out of my thoughts as Percy spoke again. "Well, actually, I have already figured out a way to get back, but I do not know if I'm willing to take the risk. It will have to be at precisely the right time, in precisely the right place," he said, sending a concerned glance over at my future self.</p><p>She was not what I had expected. She seemed less frigid and unruly than I was. Maybe that was because of Percy.</p><p>She nodded at him. "I'm willing to go anywhere, as long as I'm with you," she said.</p><p>That was yet another thing I'd never thought that I would say. There had been a lot of firsts in the past two days. Sadly, I would forget about all of it when they reset the timeline, and then Percy would die, and I'd be miserable for the next five years before he would finally return, and we would be together. I wondered how the next five years would be for me.</p><p>I was once again taken out of my thoughts by Percy. "Artemis and I need to start the plan. Meeting dismissed," he said.</p><p>Everyone nodded and stood from their seats, returning to their usual business. Percy stood as well and helped my future self out of her chair. She got up and smiled at him. Together, they left the room, hand in hand.</p><p>I would probably never get used to that. Leaving the Big House, I headed back to Cabin eight. On the way there, I passed the lake, only to see Percy. And by Percy, I meant <em>our </em>Percy. Not future Percy. He was sitting at the edge of the docks, looking very depressed, probably because he had been kicked out of the meeting yesterday.</p><p>Seeing that Annabeth was nowhere in sight, I decided to go over to him. I sat down next to him, my feet hanging over the edge of the dock.</p><p>"What's wrong Perseus?" I asked.</p><p>He turned to me. "Oh, nothing," he said.</p><p>I bumped my shoulder on his. "I can tell that there is something bothering you," I told him.</p><p>He sighed. "For some reason, Annabeth is avoiding me, and I don't know why. Add to that...I was kicked out of that meeting yesterday...by myself! It's just all so aggravating!" Percy complained, and I knew that he had every right to.</p><p>I sighed. "Percy, it was for your own good. You don't know what he told us. But just so you know, I'm glad you didn't hear it. And...Annabeth is just trying to deal with what she heard," I told him.</p><p>He looked confused though. "What do you mean? What did she hear?" he asked.</p><p>This will be harder than I thought. 'What should I tell him?' I wondered to myself. "Well, Percy, if you must know...please understand that I can't tell you everything, but...it turns out, that in the future, someone uses a love potion on Annabeth...which causes her to fall in love with that person, and you see them together," I explained. "At the time, you didn't know about the love potion, which causes you to run away from camp. That is one of the things that your future self didn't want you to know."</p><p>His eyes widened. "Really?" he asked.</p><p>I nodded sadly. "Yeah. So... are you going to just sit here the whole time, or...?" I wondered.</p><p>He suddenly shot up, saying, "Oh! Oh, right. Okay. Let's go...then." He stood and held out his hand for me.</p><p>I took his hand, a small smile on my face. He pulled me up, and together, we walked back to the main part of the camp. In the distance, I saw future Percy and my own future self at the central hearth, doing something strange. I think they were rearranging the rocks...or something. I decided to ignore them since I'd probably find out once they were done anyway.</p><p>I watched as our Percy went off to his own cabin. Shrugging, I made my way over to my own cabin to get Thalia.</p><p>
  <strong>***</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>*Percy's Point of View*</strong>
</p><p>As soon as I dismissed everyone, I took Artemis outside and pulled her behind the Big House. So that no one would listen in, I put up a shield. The force field slowly materialized around us.</p><p>Artemis looked around, confused. "What's wrong Percy?" she asked as she turned back to me.</p><p>"I need to tell you how we are going to get back, but it will be tricky. And you might not understand or accept what I'm about to tell you. Just know that I love you with all my heart and soul. You have filled the emptiness in my heart, and I haven't ever been happier," I told her, grasping both of her soft hands in my own.</p><p>Artemis' eyebrows furrowed. She pulled her hands away. "What are you planning Percy? I don't like the sound of that," she said.</p><p>"Don't worry my love. It will be okay. All I need you to do is listen to me. Okay?" I asked.</p><p>A few seconds of silence passed before Artemis sighed, and said, "Okay, now what is it?"</p><p>I sighed in relief that she was going to listen, and said, "Okay, here is what we need to do..." I began explaining my plan.</p><p>
  <strong>***</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>*Future Artemis' Point of View*</strong>
</p><p>As Percy and I set up the central hearth to how we needed it, I thought back to his plan. It was reckless, and I wasn't sure how it was going to work, but I would do everything in my power to make his plan work.</p><p>We had just finished arranging the rocks in the symbol of power. Apparently, to make this work, we needed to be standing in a place of Power and Purity, so Percy and I chose Hestia's hearth. All we needed to do was rearrange the stones in the proper formation.</p><p>I still didn't understand what he meant when he asked me not to hate him or view him any differently for what he was about to do, but I swore that nothing would make me see him any differently. I loved him, and nothing - <em>nothing</em> - would ever change that.</p><p>We just finished arranging the stones. I turned to Percy. "Okay, what now?" I asked.</p><p>He gave me a small, nervous smile. "I need you to go get your past self. What I have planned will only work if the two of you are together. That is why it's never been tried before, but I think it'll work," he said.</p><p>I nodded. All I have to do was find Artemis - wow that sounded weird - and Percy would explain the rest of what we had to do later.</p><p>As I walked around camp, looking for myself, I thought back to the plan again. It was pretty confusing. Apparently, we had to stand in a very specific place, and Percy would use a special power of his to get us back. What that power was, I didn't know, nor did I have any idea what he needed me and my past self for, but I trusted him.</p><p>My first stop was my cabin. As I stopped in front of it, I saw that it was different from the future one. Well, we had rebuilt most of the cabins in the future, adding to them, and upgrading them, and such.</p><p>Knocking on the door softly, I waited for an answer. Nothing. Knocking again, a little louder this time, I waited once more. Still nothing. This time, I opened the door, to see it empty. I looked around and saw a note on the table.</p><p>
  <em>'If anyone is looking for us, Thalia and I went to gather the rest of the hunters. We will be back later.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Artemis.'</em>
</p><p>I sighed. <em>'Now what?'</em> Percy had said that we needed to be gone by tonight, because, for some reason, we could only do it at night. Calling out to her didn't work; I was left with silence on the other end. Why couldn't I reach them? I groaned in aggravation. <em>'I can't let Percy down! He's counting on me!'</em> </p><p>Leaving the cabin, I closed the door and walked back to the hearth, where Percy was just finishing up with the arrangements.</p><p>"They aren't here. My past self left with Thalia somewhere. They left a note saying that they would be back later," I said as I approached him.</p><p>I waited for him to be upset, but he just sighed.</p><p>"It's okay. We still have a bit of time left," he said, looking up at the sky nervously. It was still midday, and we should probably go for lunch right now.</p><p>"Come on, we might as well eat some old school food before we leave," I said, bumping my shoulder against his. I knew that we had a serious situation on our hands, but we had to remain relaxed for it to work.</p><p>Percy gave me a grateful smile and took my hand in his, leading me towards the dining pavilion for lunch. Well, at least I thought we were going to the dining pavilion. Instead, Percy pulled me towards the docks, and together, we sat at the edge. Percy snapped his fingers, and both of our shoes and socks came off, resting over to the side. I giggled and lowered my feet into the warm water, next to Percy's.</p><p>He snapped his fingers again and a small blanket appeared between us. On top of the blanket were a few different platters of food. I smiled at Percy, looking down at the variety of bite-sized sandwiches.</p><p>Taking a few different ones, I ate them quickly, one after another, suddenly realizing how hungry I was.</p><p>After at least seven sandwiches, I stopped, hearing Percy laughing. I looked over at him with a playful glare. It only made him laugh harder, and he reached over, caressing my cheek and trailing his finger across my chin.</p><p>When he pulled his hand away, I noticed that he had some mayonnaise on it. I blushed in embarrassment as he licked his finger clean.</p><p>I went back to eating, this time, going a little slower, to make sure I didn't get any more food on my face. Percy just sat there, watching me eat, once in a while, taking a sandwich for himself. He was smiling at me, a look of pure happiness on his face.</p><p>My heart swelled, knowing that I was the one who made him feel like that. In a way, I should've been thanking Destruction for sending us back in time. Before arriving, Percy had always had a small part of him, no matter how buried it was, that was still thinking about what happened. After talking about it to the people who hurt him, something inside him healed in a way that I couldn't fathom.</p><p>And that being said, I'd noticed that he was no longer worrying about it, so he could be one hundred percent focused on whatever he was doing. It felt nice for me as well, knowing that he was no longer haunted by his past.</p><p>Soon, we finished the sandwiches and just enjoyed each other's company. Percy made the picnic disappear, and we scooted closer together, leaning against one another.</p><p>After a while of cuddling, I felt a surge of energy, signalling that my past self and her hunters had arrived. I probably hadn't noticed it when they left because I had been too busy focusing on arranging the rocks around the hearth.</p><p>I shook Percy a little, pulling away slightly. "The hunters are back. Do you want me to talk to my past self now?" I asked.</p><p>Percy nodded, though when I went to stand, his grip on me only tightened. I chuckled and pulled away. "Could you at least tell me what you want the two of us to do?" I asked. I didn't want to go ask for help without knowing what I was asking for.</p><p>Percy stood up as well and turned to me. With a quick snap of his fingers, our feet were dry and our shoes were back on. He looked me straight in the eyes. "We need a full moon for this to work. As it is not a full moon, and we are pressed on time, I need you and your past self to work together to turn it into a full moon. This has never been done before on earth because two immortal deities who control the moon must be present for it to work. That is why I need both of you to work together," he explained.</p><p>My jaw dropped. Of course, I had manipulated the moon before, but that was when I had been with Selene, the Titaness of the moon. We had used our powers to manipulate the moon when she had passed her duties to me. After that happened, she faded, having used up the remaining amount of her energy, and it hadn't been done since.</p><p>I snapped out of my thoughts to look at Percy again. He was looking at me, expecting an answer. </p><p>I nodded, "I'll do it. Or at least, I'll try. It is the only way to get back to our time and save the Universe." I told him confidently.</p><p>He smiled and picked me up, spinning me around a bit. Then, he kissed me. It was a simple, sweet, chaste kiss on the lips.</p><p>He put me down afterwards, and I gave him one last smile before walking off to search for my past self.</p><p>
  <strong>*Thalia's Point of View*</strong>
</p><p>Artemis and I had just gotten back to camp. Something was different than when we were here about an hour ago. The note had been moved. Someone had probably come looking for us earlier. I wondered who it was.</p><p>The hunters all went to their separate beds and tossed their bags down onto the floor. Grabbing their bows, they all walked out of the cabin, leaving me and Lady Artemis to be the only ones there.</p><p>Soon after they were gone, there was a knock on the door. I opened it, revealing Artemis. Wait, no - future Artemis. I had to keep reminding myself of that. It was hard to tell; nametags definitely would've helped. The two Percys are very easy to tell apart, but Artemis is a goddess, she hadn't changed much in five years.</p><p>I smiled at...future Artemis. "What would you like, Milady?" I asked, opening the door further so that she could come in.</p><p>"I need to speak with my past self. Is she here?"</p><p>"Um...yeah, just a second," I said. Turning towards the back room, I said, "Lady Artemis! Future you is here to see you!"</p><p>Future Artemis laughed a little. "I know that this must be hard for you - you know, seeing two of us - but Percy and I will be gone soon, hopefully, and you won't have to worry anymore," she said.</p><p>I nodded. "That's good. I can only handle one Artemis if you know what I mean," I admitted sheepishly.</p><p>"Yeah, I can be quite a handful; I learned that recently," she replied.</p><p>Just as she finished speaking, Artemis walked out from the back room. She was in her twelve-year-old form again, which made it easier to tell them apart since the future Artemis was eighteen, most likely because she was dating Percy.</p><p>"Yes?" Artemis asked, taking in the sight of me standing next to her future self.</p><p>"I need to talk to you about something urgent," future Artemis said.</p><p>"Of course. Thalia, could you leave us?" Artemis asked.</p><p>I nodded hastily and left the cabin, closing the door behind me. Knowing that it would be very impolite to eavesdrop, I grabbed my bow and headed off to join the rest of the hunters at the archery range.</p><p>
  <strong>*Third Person Point of View*</strong>
</p><p>As soon as Thalia left, Artemis turned to her future self. "What is it? I can tell that it is very important," she asked, placing her hands on her hips.</p><p>"Let's sit down," future Artemis replied, gesturing to the silver couch that was in the room.</p><p>Once they had both sat down, future Artemis took a deep breath, as if bracing herself for what she was about to say. She met her past self's eyes, pushing forward. "In order for Percy and me to return to our time, we need to be under the light of a full moon. Normally, we'd have to wait for a full moon, but we are pressed on time. He needs the two of us to manipulate the moon," future Artemis said.</p><p>Artemis' jaw dropped. "How is that possible? The only time I- we- argh, you know what I mean - have done that, is when we first became the goddess of the moon! And we were not even manipulating it to this extent!" she exclaimed.</p><p>"I know. But this is different. Manipulating the moon is only possible if it is done by two immortal deities who are in relation to the moon. That means us. It is the only way that it will be possible. We have to at least try," future Artemis urged.</p><p>Artemis paused, chewing her lip. "Okay. Let's try it," she replied.</p><p>Future Artemis sighed in relief. "Good. Let's go. We don't have much time."</p><p>Together, the two of them left the cabin, seeing that the moon had already risen. They raced towards the Hearth, where Percy was waiting. His eyes held relief as he saw them running towards him.</p><p>"Good, you're here. Now, we need the full moon to be right above our heads, you think you could do that?" he asked, looking at the two, nearly identical girls in front of him.</p><p>Both Artemis' scowled at him. "Of course we can, you idiot," future Artemis said, glaring at him.</p><p>Percy just held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, just checking. You know I love you, right?" It seemed as though he was trying to get himself out of the deep, metaphorical hole that he'd just dug.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah. Just move," future Artemis said, a slight smile on her face and she gestured to one side.</p><p>He just let out a hearty laugh and moved aside for both Artemises to stand in the center of the hearth. They stood directly in the center of the design that Percy and future Artemis had made using the stones.</p><p>Holding their hands up to the moon, both of their bodies began to glow brightly, and several beams of silver light shot up towards the moon. The glow surrounding the crescent moon intensified, and the sliver swelled, becoming fuller with each passing second.</p><p>Soon, it became completely full. By this time, both Artemises looked quite worn out, their hair damp with sweat, and their faces slightly flushed from overexertion. It took every ounce of Percy's willpower to keep him from moving to comfort his beautiful Artemis because he knew that it would interrupt the process, and all of that effort would've been for nothing.</p><p>After the moon was fully round, both Artemises started moving it. It slowly drifted across the sky, until it was almost directly above them. The glow dimmed, and both Artemises collapsed. Percy rushed forward, catching both of them before they hit the ground. He carefully moved past Artemis to the side, out of the circle of stones, and cradled his Artemis in his arms.</p><p>Brushing her hair out of her face, he looked down upon her peaceful-looking expression. The area around them grew brighter, as the full moon moved directly above their heads. Percy looked up from the face of his loved one. "It's time," he murmured.</p><p>Straightening to his full height, he propped Artemis up in his arms. He centred his energy. As he did, his body slowly began to change. It became more ragged, and scales spread across his skin.</p><p>Everything around them became a blur. Images raced passed them, flashes of bright light, and splashes of colour. The images showed Percy's betrayal and the events which occurred after it had happened. Tears formed in his eyes as he saw the heartbreak and guilt in the eyes of his family, and the images began to slow when suddenly, he felt a soft hand on his rough cheek.</p><p>Looking down, he saw Artemis looking up at him. Her eyes were wide as she saw his true form, the monster from within. But she also had a reassuring smile on her face as she looked up at him. Leaning up, she placed a kiss on his scaly cheek.</p><p>"I love you," she said, locking eyes with him. "Nothing will ever change that. I want to spend the rest of my immortal life with you. I don't care about this; I care about <em>you</em>." </p><p>Relief became the ocean that washed over him, and he regained focus, letting his concentration snap back to the future - the bright future that was waiting for him and his precious Artemis to return. Artemis held onto him tightly as the images raced past once more, moving faster and faster than ever before.</p><p>Only a few images shone through, showing Percy sights of his friends and family. They were smiling brightly as if welcoming the two of them home. A smile spread across Percy's face, and his body glowed for a second, the white light of purity and strength shining along his skin. As the glow dimmed, his was back to his normal self, and the images around them raced faster, becoming only blurs of colour and light.</p><p>His love for Artemis was what made him strong. Nothing was more powerful than what he felt for her. Together, they could overcome anything and everything that stood in the way of their love. He would not let anyone ever tear them apart.</p><p>Suddenly, the images stopped and were replaced by a bright light. It was the same retina shattering white as when Destruction had sent them back in time.</p><p>"We are home," he said with a smile, looking down at Artemis. She smiled back.</p>
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